Humanity to Honey-Bees: or, Practical Directions for the Management of Honey-Bees Upon an Improved and Humane Plan, by Which the Lives of Bees May Be Preserved, and Abundance of Honey of a Superior Quality May Be ObtainedNutt, Thomas
Science
Humanity to Honey-Bees: or, Practical Directions for the Management of Honey-Bees Upon an Improved and Humane Plan, by Which the Lives of Bees May Be Preserved, and Abundance of Honey of a Superior Quality May Be Obtained
Always have the cheerful rays of the morning sun fall upon your boxes:
but contrive to throw a shade upon their front for a few hours in the
middle of the day, when the weather is very hot. Such a shade will be
grateful to your Bees.
Elevate your boxes twenty inches or two feet above the ground: and always
keep the grass or ground, under and near them, neat and clean, and
entirely free from all nuisances.
A constant supply of water in the immediate vicinity of your apiary
is highly desirable; if therefore you have not a natural supply of
that element, _so necessary for Bees_, contrive to let them have it
by artificial means--by placing it in or near your apiary, in large,
shallow dishes, or in wooden troughs, partially covering the surface with
reed or moss, and be careful to replenish them, so that your Bees may
always find it there.
Suffer not ants to burrow near your Bees. Ants are enemies to Bees, and
will annoy them, if they get among them.
Spiders also are Bee-destroyers; therefore, brush away their entangling
webs, whenever and wherever you find them about your boxes.
Fowls should not be permitted in an apiary.
Early in spring let the entrance be not more than an inch, and increase
it gradually to its full extent, as you find occasion: contract it again
towards the fall of the year; and, if the moths be troublesome in summer
evenings, nearly close it every evening; but take care to open it again
either early next morning, or as soon as the evening flight of the moths
is over. This attention is more particularly due to weak stocks, and
affords them great protection against the attacks of moths, which are
among the boldest, the most persevering, and, when once they have got
into a hive, most destructive enemies to Bees.
Destroy wasps and wasps' nests wherever you find them in the vicinity
of your apiary. The destruction of queen-wasps in spring is the
most effectual method of diminishing the number of these formidable
Bee-enemies; because the destruction of a queen-wasp in spring is
tantamount to the destruction of a whole nest afterwards.
Light in the domicil of Bees, if not actually prejudicial to them, is, at
any rate, displeasing to them; therefore, be careful never to expose your
Bees unnecessarily to its glare: never leave the window-doors open, nor
suffer careless visitors to do so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account